Megan Roberts, the university student who has been missing in York for almost a week, probably fell in the city’s River Ouse while drunk, police have said.
Detectives hunting for the missing 20-year-old said there was no evidence of foul play and all the indications were that she had met with a tragic accident.
Superintendent Phil Cain also stressed there was nothing to suggest that the York St John University student’s disappearance was in any way connected with the case of Claudia Lawrence – the university chef who went missing in York in 2009 and who police believe has been murdered.
Speaking close to the Lendal Bridge, over the swollen River Ouse in York, Mr Cain said: “The strongest and most probable line of inquiry being pursued by police is that Megan, affected by alcohol, has entered the river.”
He added: “On balance, this presents as a group of young friends on a night out that is likely to have ended in tragedy.”
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28 Jan 2014Miss Roberts, who is from Wetherby, West Yorkshire, and lived in the Clifton area of York, was last seen in the early hours of Thursday following a night out.
But it was only when family and friends realised earlier this week that she was missing that the alarm was raised.
North Yorkshire Police have studied CCTV footage and interviewed Miss Roberts' friends in an effort to trace her last movements.
Today a police diver was scouring the river bank close to the Lendal Bridge, near where Miss Roberts was last captured on CCTV.
There had been suggestions that Miss Roberts had expressed some concern about being followed by a stalker shortly before she disappeared but the police said there was “no evidence to indicate foul play”.
Miss Roberts worked as a barmaid at the Lamb and Lion Inn in York during the summer and its manager described her as “very police and friendly”.
In a prepared statement Mr Cain said: "Megan Roberts has now been missing for almost a week. Her disappearance was reported to police by her mother on Monday 27 January 2014 after she had not been in contact with a family or friends for a number of days.
“Understandably there have been growing and grave concerns for her safety which has triggered a great deal of police activity, and interest from the media and the public.
“Some of that activity has played out on social media and has led to a number of theories about her fate including potential links to the Claudia Lawrence case.
“It is very important, not least for Megan’s family and friends, to deal with the facts as they currently present. Those facts are based on evidence resulting from a variety of police enquiries to date.
“It has been established that Megan was one of a group of young adults - all of who were friends - who had been drinking for several hours prior to leaving Popworld night club around 2.10am on Thursday 23, January.
“All in the group including Megan were heavily affected by alcohol. That group whilst together were widely spread out as they made their way from Popworld across Lendal Bridge to McDonalds.
“Having separated, part of the group ran down Tanners Moat, in front of The Maltings public house towards the river looking for the others.
“Megan through the effects of alcohol was the last in the group and bumped into some of the cycle racks as she followed others. CCTV evidence doesNOT show Megan running back up the same street with the others to rejoin the main group.
“All members of the group concerned have been traced and spoken to at length by the police. There is nothing at this stage to indicate that any member of that group of friends or anybody else is directly responsible for Megan’s disappearance.
“A range of other police enquiries, including investigating theories described on social media sites, have been undertaken by a range of police resources including detectives. The results of which does NOT indicate that Megan’s disappearance is the result of any criminal activity.
“Consequently the strongest and most probable line of enquiry being pursued by police is that Megan, affected by alcohol, has entered the river. Clearly we will not be in a position to definitively to confirm this to be the case until Megan is found.
“The possibility still exists that Megan is elsewhere safe and well, but realistically given the passage of time, such a possibility is increasingly remote.
“I emphasise that there is no evidence to indicate foul play of criminality and certainly NO evidence to link Megan’s disappearance to the Claudia Lawrence case.
“On balance, this presents as a group of young friends on a night out that is likely to have ended in tragedy.
“Our primary emphasis will centre on the continual search of the river and the surrounding area using specialist search resources.
"We continue to support Megan’s family with specially trained officers.”
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